This CD box consists of fascinating re-releases of 78 rpm records from the early twentieth century. The focus is on the singer Iakovos Nafpliotis (1864-1942), one of the greatest cantors in Istanbul at the time. Born in Greece, the boy traveled to Istanbul at the age of seven, then Constantinople. His immense vocal talent was soon discovered, and his status within the Greek Orthodox Church grew
… equally quickly. At 47 he attained the highest attainable status, becoming the so-called 'Archon Protopsaltis' of the 'Holy Great Church of Christ' in Constantinople. He would remain that for no less than 27 years. The recordings of this box were made at the beginning of this period. The sound quality is of course not great, but it is wise that the producers did not choose to completely filter out all noise: with radical filtering, the recording is often more affected than restored. Together with an informative book (although a translation of the sung lyrics is missing), this publication provides a unique insight into Istanbul's rich music history. (TC)more
